Crawling to You
by Dawn of Chaos
Summary: Torn between a promise to keep his friend safe and the promise to himself to hunt after the man he's always loved Riku struggles through the worst night of his life, not even knowing how close he had been until he's knocking on death's door.


"_Riku! Come on Riku!" yells a childish voice, full of love and hope. The small child waves his wooden sword at the other, brunet spikes bouncing as he runs towards the lunar haired boy. _

_Riku rolls his eyes and stands up from his seat under the weeping willow tree, watching as the brunet dashes past the vines that hang down and begins to stumble. Knowing just how clumsy he can be Riku reaches out and grabs him, holding him close. "You okay Sora?"_

"_Mhmm! All thanks to you!" They separate and sit down at the trunk of the tree, their wooden swords crossed in front of them, their backs against the hard trunk. Sora smiles over his shoulder at Riku, brushing his hands over his white t-shirt. "Thank you Riku …"_

_Startled by the sadness in Sora's voice Riku sits up on his knees, scouting a little closer to the child of only eight, but with the mind of a sage. "I didn't do anything Sora."_

"_Yes you did. You stayed with me when Mom told me brother was taken by the daemons."_

_Riku sinks back against the trunk, reaching over to hold Sora's hand. "I only did what friends do."_

"_Promise you won't leave me?"_

"_Promise."_

**x.X.x.X.x.X.x**

Claws reach out for him, even these lower class shadows able to rake their anxious hands over him, itching to rip the heart from his body and take it as their own. Poisonous yellow eyes bore into him, lusting for the heart of light and dark that he harbors and wanting only that. A scream hitches in his throat, unable to get past the lump that won't allow him to swallow. He can feel every cut on his body and they all burn with the intensity of an inferno, making tears spot at the corners of his eyes as he crawls backward, scooting across the rock ground. The creatures are fast though and with him moving so slowly its not even a chase.

The daemons continue after him, closing him to the very edge of the cliff, his arms trembling as they buckle and his head slams against the ground. Long silver tresses dangle over the ledge while his bangs stick to his forehead from the light sheen of sweat on his body. He's not weak, oh no, quite the opposite. But these things are inhuman and he didn't stand a chance after he walked from his tent. His fingers grip tightly around the hilt of his kotetsu, fear ebbing at his nerves as blood drips from the cuts on his arms, legs, and torso. The loose jeans and tight, black tank top are practically in shreds as the daemons mercilessly grab at him, trying to drag him away from the edge and back into the shadows, away from the shining moon.

Aquamarine orbs widen in fear as one in particular crawls on top of him, holding his arms to the side and making his kotetsu completely useless. This daemon opens his mouth just as Riku squeezes his eyes shut, getting a glimpse of razor sharp teeth before he retreats into his mind, not wanting to have to see this thing while he dies.

But nothing bites him and no sharp nails rip his clothes away and pry away his ribs. Nothing except a splatter of liquid across his face.

He opens his eyes to see the daemon being kicked off of him, a lean man standing over him and swinging a broadsword at the remaining daemons who weren't scared off by this man's presence. The sword slashes through their torsos as this man runs from creature to creature, being just as fast as they are and only leaving a blur for him to try and focus on. Deciding he doesn't want to meet his savior, he adjusts his grip on his kotetsu, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His breath comes out in ragged pants as he looks at the dead bodies of the daemon, crimson smearing over the rock ground and over himself as well. Despite the burning and aching, he stands on shaky feet and begins to walk, heading for the camp he had come from … wherever that is.

Those daemons had run him silly, all the way out into a territory he knows nothing about. That's what happens when you fight in a war on enemy soil, there's no idea as to where anything or anyone is. Which is exactly why he starts to try and run, limping in the direction that is away from the corpses. He doesn't get far though before every muscle in his body seems to send his brain a warning, that he's pushing himself too far and too fast. His knees buckle underneath him and his kotetsu drops to the ground at the feet of that man, he himself being caught in the man's arms.

"Are you okay?"

His face flushes a red far deeper than it had been from over exerting himself and tries to pry the man's arms away from his chest. "I'm f-fine. G-Go away. Leave me a-alone you … you d-daemon!"

A sigh drifts over his ear, "You can't prove it."

He shoves away from the man that has saved him and goes to step forward, suddenly feeling the world tilt out from under his feet. Before the black can completely obscure his vision he catches a glance of steel blue eyes flashing yellow for the briefest of seconds and he can only think one thing, _'He's going to kill me.'_

**x.X.x.X.x.X.x**

_His long silver hair whips behind him as he runs toward the screams down the hall, heart racing as he rushes to get there before its too late. The kotetsu in his grasp his held tight enough to show his knuckles turning white. The walls are a blur save for the wooden door at the end of the hallway. With every step his heart beats louder and harder, caught in his throat as he gets ever closer._

_Riku had left, gone to train for the upcoming war. He was going to come back tonight and tell Sora he's having to leave with the troops at dawn. He was going to confess to Sora how much he cares about him and beg for his forgiveness for leaving … but that he has only one thing he wants to do, only one reason to join in this war against the daemons._

_The door flings open as he sees Sora's legs and arms flailing around the hulking form of a daemon, yellow eyes glancing over his shoulder and at Riku. His blade gleams in the moonlight streaming into the room as he dashes forward, slashing across the daemon's back as he goes to stand up from Sora who lies completely still beneath him. Blood coats Riku's sword as he takes a step back, "Get away from him! Now!"_

_A moan of pain flutters through the air as the daemon gets away from the bed, keeping his back to Riku even as a hand combs through short, brown hair. Riku rushes over to Sora who stares over at the daemon, confusion and clarity wrote over his face as blood drips from the corners of his lips. He smiles up at Riku who hovers over him, staring at the wound in his chest, the tattered shirt covering the gruesome sight. Sora reaches up, pointing over to the daemon as he tries to talk, only resulting in crimson coughing up from his lungs. _

_Riku cradles Sora in his arms as he seems to forget the daemon that is no longer even in the room, vanished from the room._

**x.X.x.X.x.X.x**

Fingers brush over his forehead, pushing the bangs away from his face as the owner of those fingers smiles down at the peaceful face, leaning closer until his lips are just above Riku's. As the lunar haired male opens his eyes he tries to sit up, only succeeding in forcing his lips against his savior's, completely stunned at the sudden interaction between them. A hand reaches up to press against the back of Riku's head, fingers twining into his hair as he seems to melt against the electricity shooting through his body from this other man's touch.

The familiarity and the love is all he can feel, but when his mind finally comes back into his own control he shoves the man away and glares at him, unable to see the identity of this daemon who stumbled back into the shadows. "Who are you?"

He walks forward to answer Riku's question, forcing him to struggle to breath. Riku stares up at him; silky chocolate colored hair cut short while bangs are swept back behind his ears, tight leather pants clinging to long legs, a short jacket that has no shirt underneath and has the collar turned up against the angles of his face. Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat, Riku lets his eyes meet steel blue ones.

"You're alive?" Riku scrunches up enough for the brunet to sit back down, receiving a nod as he does. "But … you're a daemon now aren't you?"

"Why did you come out here in the first place?"

"To find you."

"So … Sora didn't make it did he?" Riku reaches out to brush his fingers over the slumped shoulder, causing the brunet to turn around. "If I had known you would come out here and almost get yourself killed I would have stayed that night."

Riku glances around, loving how the moon caresses them as they sit within the shielding of the vines of an aged weeping willow, the wind swaying the healthy vines. The grass they rest upon is deep and fresh, apparently being the place where he comes to rest and hide away from all the other daemons and soldiers. Looking up at the brunet Riku leans forward, resting his chin lightly on his shoulder, the message Riku sends to him being evident.

"I've missed you Squall."

The brunet turns around and pulls Riku into his lap as gently as he can, knowing he still can't control the enhanced abilities he's been granted. Wrapping his arms securely around Riku's waist Squall presses his face into the crook of the silver haired swordsman's neck. "I love you." But even as the words ghost over his lips Squall is pushing Riku away, reaching down to his boots to unstrap a dagger from the right one. He holds the blade, gesturing for Riku to take a hold of the hilt.

"What are you doing Squall?"

"I'm a daemon. I can't control myself. Kill me before I kill anyone else, like you."

The monotone only assists in making the words sink deep into Riku's mind as he reaches forward, intending on gripping Squall's shoulder but instead Squall makes him grab the hilt. "If you're really a daemon then this won't kill you!"

"These are the daggers the soldiers use to purge the evil from daemons' bodies after they've been incapacitated." Squall's slightly tanned hands rest over Riku's, forcing the tip of the dagger to touch the skin over his heart, a small trickle of blood sliding down to the rim of his pants.

"I can-"

Riku's arms are thrust forward, the blade embedding itself in the brunet's chest as maroon steadily begins to flow out from the deadly wound. Shock keeps Riku's eyes wide even as Squall lifts his hands up to cup at his face, making their eyes stay focused on one another. "I… waited for… Thank you… setting me free…"

The emotionless mask Squall wears seem to shatter as he presses their lips together, the taste of metallic infecting Riku's senses as he lies Squall on the ground. Pulling his lips away he can only hover over the brunet as his eyes become dull, causing Riku to bite the inside of his cheek, trying to show the one he had come to find just how strong he can be. He brushes stray strands away and finally sweeps his hands over Squall's face, closing his eyes as a final breath is shuddered out from cold lips. Riku sits back on Squall's legs, staring at the dagger as if transfixed on it.

"I love you too."

**x.X.x.X.x.X.x**

_Soooo ... I think I could like this pairing just as much as Vincent x Riku. xD Riku is such a whore, I put him with way to many guys and he's almost always a uke. xD Oh well._

_Didn't really know what kind of supernatural being I was going for. Not a demon. Not a vampire. Maybe somewhere in between? Maybe. I don't know. But this is a good lesson why I don't give backgrounds to oneshot. xD I get attached and want to write more more more to them. Which is why I killed Squall -_- So I can't.  
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_Try and enjoy?_


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